baby he's the type to forget his kids at daycare
by ahyeon
Summary: AU. A series of oneshots and drabbles revolving around these three losers. — honestly, Alice was just done with masked badboys who had cute coat tails and spiky blond hair. So completely done.
1. first impressions dont always work out

Wow. So um... I'll going to straight up tell yall that I've actually lost any possible interest in all of my old bakugan fics. It's not writer's block- its honestly just me not wanting to deal with them anymore. But if you're interested in adopting them then please feel free to PM me :)

WAIT THERE'S MORE ! Even though I should really be worrying about university applications and IB essays- I decided to make do with all the ideas thirteen year old me left me with (which was honestly a lot, /oh man/) and combine them all in an **one****shot series**! So um yeah, here I am with this crappy little fic.

So yah, **please take note that unless stated otherwise, this is basically just a series of drabbles and interrelated oneshots.**

One of the biggest challenges is writing a character who's smarter than the author orz

* * *

><p>Alice didn't expect Runo to be the one sneaking into her grandfather's lab that night. She knew how eccentric her best friend could be, knew how much she missed Dan no matter how many times she tried to deny it, and she knew that she was stubborn beyond her years. Honestly, she would've pegged Julie to be the one who planned this whole elaborate scheme out for the two of them. But it wasn't and now, only two hours later, the Russian girl found herself in a mess that she mentally deemed was way out of their league.<p>

"Oh my god," Alice had muttered under her breath when she saw who teleported out of the portal after Runo and the others made it out of the gate in one piece. It was like watching a train wreck and knowing exactly when to pinpoint the moment everyone realized there were still people inside. The way the air felt like someone had vacuumed it right out of their lungs only emphasized this fact.

Honestly, if it was up to her, saving the world from an evil albino dragon once was enough. Saving the world at the meek age of thirteen was already asking way too much. To think she'd have to deal with another masked villain only three years later was just pushing it.

And really she was starting to get fed up with every problem Dan seemed to find himself in.

_(Alice could still remember the time Dan called her in the middle of the night, claiming he apparently lost his house and didn't have money for a cab. Needless to s__ay, they soon found out that his misadventure landed him across the ocean. An hour later found Dan back home dressed as Napoleon Bonaparte, and Alice swearing to leave Dan in a ditch the next time he called.)_

Honestly, she wasn't surprised when he told her later that he was in the middle of a socio-political revolution to free the Bakugan on a distant alien planet.

She was more unamused really.

"Let me go, you feathered freak!" Runo's scream sliced through the air as the younger girl struggled under the man's arm. Beside her, the Russian girl could see Dan ready to scale up the Dimensional Transporter when the blond took a big leap and literally smashed through the glass ceiling and retreated into the snowy night.

It was a sight that reminded her to never answer their calls again.

"Runo!" They all yelled in unison before racing outside, already splitting the forest and deciding where to search. Alice watched in tense silence as Dan and Julie raced into the forest without any hesitation while the two teens Dan had arrived with hung back.

Sure, the redhead didn't know them like Dan did but she knew what the shared looks on their faces meant. They must've been her age or if not younger, And Alice would be a fool if she didn't think they weren't panicking internally at the prospect of searching unknown lands. On a whole new planet even. She was an empathetic sixteen year old, a sucker for sob stories and the granddaughter of a newly reformed scientist- how could she _not _tell they were obviously scared and not wanting to do something about it? Granted they looked ready to conquer it at any moment but her best friend was missing; Alice needed to do something before the night's events truly sunk in. Maybe in another world- another universe, her concern for her grandfather and best friend blinded her from what was obviously in front of her and propelled her to stay back and help as much as she could but here, Alice knew what her calling was.

"Follow me. If we're lucky we might find their footprints!" She yelled, sidestepping past the boy with pink-purple hair and walking deeper into the forest opposite of the direction her friends had gone in. Slowly webbing into the snow and waiting for them to follow in her steps, "Hurry!"

Alice listened as the boy made a startled noise that sounded like a cross between an excited gasp and choke before a soft yelp erupted through the air. She ignored the frantic shuffling coming from the lab- ignored the loud roar of laughter coming from her grandfather's lab assistant and screamed from the top of her lungs that if they find anything to just call her bakupod before taking off, knowing that Dan's new friends weren't far behind her.

To say everything that was happening now was short of surreal was a total understatement.

Alice was a strategist, a born brawler, talented, patient, and had the welcome skill of knowing how to deal with her friend's antics. Her quiet nature stopped her from acting out most times but 'most times' usually involved the multiple times she found herself become the mediator between Dan and Runo's on-again-off-again relationship.

She was used to surprises. But this? Running around in the forest with aliens on a search for her best friend who snuck out to use the possibly nonfunctional Dimensional Transporter? She could literally blame her death on the amount of stress put on her during their shenanigans.

She could only hope Dan's new friends weren't as random and demanding as he was.

"What's that up ahead?" One of them screamed, Alice immediately turned her head towards the direction the other girl was pointing at. Her pupil-less blue eyes squinting to see past the falling snow at the two lone figures standing in the middle of a clearing.

Truthfully, all Alice could see were what looked like two short moving trees but apparently the two teens had recognized them and jolted right past her screaming,

"Vexos!"

"Hold it right there!"

Now, Alice was a smart girl.

And Dan's habit of calling her up in the middle of the night even though he knew how time zones worked helped shape her ability to forever be as patient and forgiving as the angel most people saw her as.

But when she had finally caught up to the one pink-purple haired boy who looked like he was about to face off with the shortest Gate Crasher and the other girl was nowhere in sight, she could feel her patience running thin.

"Oh man another human!"

"Miss Alice!" Nevermind the fact they had only met for barely a second and he already knew her name, she was going to pummel him when this was all over. "Go quick! Mira chased Gus into the woods down north!"

"Right, thanks! Good luck!" She offered briskly before running off in the direction he pointed her to, only pausing for a second when she saw his bakugan float up and into his open palm.

The redhead ran, ignoring the way her heart jumped or how her stomach churned. She ran and ran and ran, following footprints and broken branches until the small bell of a new message resonated through the forest and the trees made way for a clearing- one where Dan and the rest of the gang had gathered in a congregation of angry negotiators.

_'Try to get the Vexos back to the lab. -M' _She read and before she had any chance to reply or hatch a carefully thought up plan, she heard Dan screaming angrily at the man in the red jacket. Any kind of patience still left in her was all but gone when she ran out of the trees and joined Julie out in the snow.

"What? First you take Runo and now you want to team up?" Dan glared and she knew by the way he tensed up that the fifteen year old was ready to throw down and outright start a street brawl. The Russian only rolled her eyes- _sane Dan angry Dan_- and followed the path of his glare.

And really, she just wanted to leave at this point.

Spectra Phantom was many things apparently.

The leader of the Vexos. Vestal's top Pyrus brawler. And Mira's supposed older brother- or so she would learn.

But an outright despicable villain, he was not.

Save for a couple cuts from the stunt he pulled earlier, she could tell from his loose grip around her friend that Runo was never in a lot of danger.

It was a realization that set off a lot of alarms in Alice's head to be honest as she watched Spectra release her friend in a so-called act of 'good will', already suspecting that the man had something up his sleeve. Something so utterly complex that she could literally see the stupid response Dan would come up with.

She was too busy cringing to listen to the speech the Pyrus brawler was giving her friends, given the loud gasps coming from the girls, Alice knew it was something shocking- and really it might've been something she should really be listening to too but really?

Did she say how out of their league they were yet?

Because they were _outrageously _out of their league.

She felt like a child under their scrutiny. She felt like an idiot not seeing it the moment Runo and Julie arrived at her home. She felt like she was downright drowning as everyone around her was going through some sort of moral dilemma.

Ok, so maybe Dan's response wasn't as stupid as she thought it'd be. And what was this about imprisoned bakugan?

Whatever as long as Dan didn't ask for her opinion.

"Even if you have our friends, we'd never join you!" Drago cried out after a moment, effectively cutting his brawler off before he had the chance to embarrass them all. However, that didn't stop him from sharing a look with the Darkus brawler and then pointedly nudging downwards.

Alice furrowed her eyebrows, lucky that the Vexos were too busy examining everyone else's distressed faces but her own. Like a soft breeze, she felt something materialize in her pocket and a voice calling to her through the wind. Reminding her of what she needed to do.

She just had to figure out how.

"Alice..." Dan muttered under his breath, finally noticing how quiet the redhead had been throughout the entire ordeal. He turned towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "about Hydranoid... I'm so sorry."

She could feel curious eyes all zero in on her, she even heard someone take a sharp intake of breath. But the Russian girl had made up her mind, all patience lost. She had an idea. And if Dan was smart, he would play along.

"Hydra..." she whispered in deep thought. If the bits and pieces she had managed to catch were all true, then oh man she was so totally going to get a pissed off lab assistant on her case after this was all done and over with. "Dan, do you trust me?"

"What? Of course I do!" He said without a moment's hesitation, eyes burning and face screwed at what he must've thought to be the silliest question in the world after such a tender and delicate moment. If only he knew.

Alice smiled.

"Then I accept on behalf of Dan Kuso!" She called loud and clear, stepping away from Dan's grip and towards Spectra. Her heart beating loud like a drum, threatening to jump out of her chest. This was so stupid. This was so Dan. Oh man, she was going to get someone killed. She was going to get herself killed. She was so screwed.

In front of her, Alice could see Spectra's outstretched hand, a lackadaisical smirk already embedded on his lips as his one visible eye focused in on the redheaded earthling. She watched as his coat trailed out from behind him like the tails of an ephemeral bird. If anything, he reminded her of a rising phoenix.

And if anything, she'd willingly do everything not to think about how the adrenaline was pumping through her veins or how she distinctly remembered something like this happening before.

"Excellent," the one word slid out from his lips and sent shivers down her spine. The two Vexos took a step closer when she stopped just about an arms reach from the both of them.

She was absolutely positive they could hear her heart racing from where they stood now.

"But first," She started coyly, trying to remember how another blond masked baddie did it. Trying to remember how easy the words once felt in her throat. Trying to remember the plan she had made just two seconds ago and the feel of the card in her pocket.

She only had one chance.

"It's time for you to take another field trip."

They disappeared in a shower of glitter and confused screams.

And Alice felt like laughing at the pure stupidity of her plan.

Because it had worked. It had worked.

Oh my god, it had worked.

_( And just like she expected the lab assistant looked ready to murder her the moment they sent the two Vexos through the portal. )_

* * *

><p>So it didn't work.<p>

Actually that wasn't it.

It had worked- the Transporter had teleported them away like they wanted- but not to where they wanted them to end up. And most importantly, not far enough away from where they were.

Because if what Gus was saying was true then the two had somehow landed in Wardington, where they battled the Brawlers, lost (this she knew about from Dan, but if he asked then, she wouldn't say a thing), then decided cloning the teleportation device Alice had used was a good idea to try to lure out Lync. And wow, did things turn out great for the two Vexos brawlers ? Because once their gauntlets finished the proper calculations and started the warp, they found themselves in the right place. Right in front of Lync. The right time? Not so much.

So really, if Alice was arguing with anyone then she would've said it really didn't work out the way she wanted it to.

Because it didn't.

It really didn't work.

Dan's plans never worked after all. There was a reason Masquerade was the one who hatched the plan to defeat Centorrior and Druman in the Doom Dimension- Masquerade had strategic insight, Dan was just outright delusional.

And so here she was: home alone and housing three grumpy Vestals in the midst of a late but violent winter storm.

She honestly couldn't believe this was her life now.


	2. break the string

First things first... this will not be a love triangle fic.

And also, this was supposed to be uploaded the day after the first chapter but I'm a complete dunce.

I'm open to prompts so please feel free to review or msg me some :)

Have fun reading this gross un beta'd chapter

* * *

><p><strong>1. Serenade<strong>:

It would be a lie if he said he didn't remember in vivid detail how he met Alice Gehabich. Call it what you'd like but even the fact that the encounter was more of an unfortunate accident than a planned event didn't slip past him. He honestly didn't know she was there until his feet brought him to stand still in front of a pair of large ornate doors. A sweet lullaby had slipped through the crack and even to this day, he'll always remember the sight that it revealed to him.

And if you asked, he'd say he remembered it as the Russian girl serenading him.

For Alice, she remembered it more as the last time she babysat Klaus' younger siblings.

**2. Agape:**

Their love was based off of everything that was less than ideal and yet perfect at the same time.

They fell in love, they fell out of love, they twisted and churned, they kissed and held on like two beings who didn't know the difference from right to wrong. She was thirteen. He was older. They held on until the very strand keeping them ashore was the same weight dragging them down under. Blessed they were never to be. And really, it was a love so perfect that it was bound to be doomed from the start.

Yet it was through this tale of heartache that they learnt that there were more forms of love than just lust.

**3. Obnoxious:**

"You sneeze like a dad."

**4. Idiot:**

She knew. Maybe not from the beginning. But she knew.

He knew too at some point.

That she didn't need him like he'd need her.

And yet here they are, mistakenly thinking that desperately trying to hold on was going to one day lead to their demise.

**5. Quiet:**

Someone uploaded a video of her singing onto the website.

**6. Fresh:**

He remembered her profile, remembered thinking that she must have been one of those snobby private girls who were released right into the wild after a petty argument with her parents.

She knew the game better than the rest of her team. But she didn't brawl. She had the spirit of a lion. But she was literally the most daintiest thing he's ever laid eyes on.

And then he got a chance to talk to her- after months and months of monitoring the Brawlers and -

She was like a refreshing sniff of cool spring breeze.

(He was the yellowed patch of grass ruining the view)

**7. Science:**

"You disappear for two days after going into the transporter. And you just thought it would be a good idea to take two baby bakugan from their mother and bring them _here_?"

**8. Marriage:**

On their forty-sixth meeting, she ran away in a beautiful white dress and crashed into him as he was beginning to battle a pastor's son.

**9. Autumn:**

Her hair was the colour of the seasons changing, burning amber across alabaster skin, like an orange sunset across a gorgeous landscape.

He smelt of pumpkins and candles and her favourite season.

**10. Snow:**

"If you push me into a snowbank again, I'll push you into a tree Masquerade."

**11. Salvation**:

He would never say it but he'll always be grateful to her for being the one who saved him before it was too late.

**12. Wish:**

Sometimes he wished they worked out.

**13. Tattoo:**

The night she turned eighteen, she dragged him out while her grandfather was sleeping and made him pay for her new tattoo.

"Из пе́сни сло́ва не вы́кинешь." it read, beautifully carved across her smooth skin. He watched as the tattoo artist carefully painted over her skin with a sort of precision he'd never have. With a grace that'll leave a mark to remember instead of a scar filled with regrets.

"_Words of a song cannot be erased_" it read, and even as she moved on and showed her new marking to her friends, he'll never tell them they were the same words etched onto her parent's graves.

**14. Mirror:**

They were compliments of each other, there came a point that no one could deny otherwise that they weren't exact mirror images for each other. And while maybe Zeus made them perfect for one another, their souls said otherwise.

Her soul said otherwise.

And so when he saw him-

he thought Alice had managed to make a mirror into a person.

He couldn't help but blurt out how there must have been a mistake- there was no way she could ever fall in love with a boy like the one standing in front of him right now because- "Alice you must have been brainwashed. I mean look at him, he's-"

"Exactly like how you were?"

Masquerade said nothing.

_(And he didn't care if some almighty dollmaker up there moulded the both of them out of the same clay, there was no way he was going to accept this new relationship)_

_(In the end, he did)_

**15. Dream:**

Alice had weird dreams sometimes. Ones where she wont ever tell anyone- not even her other half.

Ones where her vision would be obscured by a blue glass, and she'd feel like she was falling, drowning, dying under layers upon layers of ozone and ashes and burning and screaming and-

"Alice, someones here to see you."

They all stopped the day Klaus' youngest sibling asked if she can perform the song she sang during last year's Cabaret.

**16. Bullet:**

It hit her like a bullet sometimes when she saw the way he'd stare at her when he thought she wasn't looking.

**17. University:**

Out of all the Battle Brawlers, she was the oldest.

So obviously there would come a time she'd have to take a step towards her education- a time where she'd have to live a life away from all this nonsense.

He had forgotten that the fifth time they met.

"What kind of business does a thirteen year old have at Yale?"

She had dropped all her pamphlets- facility of medicine, social services, education, apprenticeships, early admissions- they all seem to read in white bold print. And yet he hadn't noticed because he was too busy examining the growing look of panic blossoming on her face.

"I wanted to see what the professors had to say about bakugan..." Was what she had told him, a little too unsure of herself.

Like he couldn't tell the lie before she even opened her mouth.

**18. Drunk:**

"That'll make great blackmail material."

**19. Asphyxiation:**

He'd sooner let his love for her become a noose around his neck before letting her heart break in the hands of another.

**20. Friends:**

She brought a spray can home one day and claimed that just because they were friends didn't mean he can do whatever he wanted.

He never would've expected that one day he'd be deathly afraid of being sprayed.

**21. Name:**

"No offense but I'd still rather call you Masquerade."

**22. Passport:**

"Why do you always have to take me so literally"

**23. Panic:**

The one time she had an attack after moving to Wardington was in his company. And she'll always be thankful for the fact his first course of action wasn't calling for an ambulance.

Instead it was setting the room they were in on fire and forcing her to control her breathing as they crawled their way into the fire escape before smoke filled their lungs.

**24. Anomaly:**

"Wha- you- and- How? Wait. Nevermind. I don't even want to know how. Ew. " Dan was so cute sometimes.

**25. Human:**

They were only human and she hated how he'd seem to forget that sometimes.

**26. Rip:**

She got him a beyblade once just for fun and he lodged it right into her living room wall during their impromptu tournament.

He put a frame around it and the both of them swore to claim the unique piece of abstract art has always been there if Michael ever asked.

(Michael was right around the corner when they made this deal and decided he was better off ignoring the large hot pink toy permanently stuck to his wall if he didn't want the two teens to die of an early heart attack)

**27. Scarf:**

Their first proper date was a winter afternoon where he taught her how to knit a scarf.

**28. Garden:**

"Ha ha no. Get out my grandfather's garden, please. You're ruining the potatoes."

**29. French:**

Masquerade's french sucked. She didn't find this out until after he simultaneously managed to insult almost everyone around the Louvre.

**30. Home:**

Leaving her was like leaving home.

**31. Trust:**

He would always carry a piece of her with him. Whether he knew it or chose to ignore it.

Always.

**32. Years:**

Things were so different now.

**33. Needle:**

The day he had given her Hydranoid, she threaded his heart back together with a needle and he promised to return to her.

She came home one day to find out her grandfathers new lab assistant was the one mending all the tears and rips on all her favourite dresses.

**34. McDonalds:**

"I don't want to spend my Saturday night handcuffed to the table and splitting chicken nuggets with you."

**35. Chance:**

He was the greatest chance she ever took.

**36. Kisses:**

Masquerade kissed like a gentleman.

Alice kissed like she was the one scared of letting go. All desperate and hands and red hot passion- there was no way he could have ever keep up.

**37. Caught:**

"No. What are you talking about. That's not me splitting chicken nuggets with only the evilest villain in the whole world."

"Chicken nuggets ?"

"Nuh uh"

**38. Voice:**

Alice Gehabich refuses to be Masquerade's voice coach.

**39. Instruments:**

Alice liked it best when he sat down and played the ancient grand piano collecting dust in the living room.

**40. Clock:**

She fell first, dressed herself in a beautiful gown of cheap fabrics and sparkling accessories. She found him under the moonlight, surrounded by none other but nature's glow.

The clock had struck 12 and she knew her fairytale was over.

**41. Anonymous:**

"Awwh Alice! Looks like someone left you flowers again!"

**42. Frozen:**

The first time he was willing to talk to her new boyfriend, he told her to be mindful of the fact that he just might be Hans in disguise.

**43. Nightmares:**

No matter what, they were always each other's fast cure to the dreams that haunt them in the dead of the night.

**44. Past:**

Michael might've missed Alice's prom pictures but the amount of times he faked illness and made the redhead go in his place for dinner parties and stick his lab assistant as her plus one surely did make up for it.

Of course, the secret underground organization he was soliciting candid pictures of the two stepping on each other's toes and not so discreetly collecting a growing collection of designer dishware in their coats and purses from could say otherwise.

He was just glad they hadn't let their pasts drag them down.

**45. Subtlety:**

"If you wont let me enjoy my bagel, you might as well tell me what's wrong."

**46. Keys:**

Before meeting him, she was a meek creature. Barely said anything, always timid and careful not to anger. She was just a pretty thing to look at. Never held grudges, never wished others harm. The perfect daughter, the ideal granddaughter, an image of perfection if you hadn't known any better.

Meeting him was like unlocking a part of herself she didn't know she had.

_(for him, meeting her was like slowly twisting the lock to all his wrongdoings until it finally clicked shut)_

**47. Cycle:**

"Would you like a place to stay until the storm lights up?"

**48. Forgiveness:**

He knew he'll never be able to make up for all the wrong he's done to the world.

But he'll try.

**49. Hero:**

It all started with a little boy in the park, then it turned into volunteering and tutor alongside the work he was already doing for her grandfather.

She didn't even see it until she had employed herself to follow him one day. Didn't even suspect that all these small children he constantly kept bringing home, all with pouty sulky looks and books and pencils, were just about the same kids he had manipulated how many years ago. She never even made the connections until she saw it first hand.

She never could've been more proud the moment the boy he had been tutoring had turned to him, abandoning his doodle of a ball-like object (how could she have missed that?) and beamed. Thank you. The boy looked like he was near tears. And he probably on the verge of full out sobbing when Masquerade stopped mid sentence and looked at the boy with eyes that told another story.

For He had tears in his own.

**50. Together:**

Who said their happy ending had to be them hand in hand, standing in front of the dais and staring lovingly into each other's eyes ?

They'd very much rather sitting in the corner of a retirement home and cheating the caretakers out of their monopoly money and scaring the lady down the hall with Hydra thank you very much.


	3. grab a buddy or a friend

Usually I would wait until I've written the next chapter to release this one, but I'm honestly so excited- writing this was so much fun.

Thanks so much for the kind reviews, they honestly really did make my day through Finals week. I'm currently in the process of replying to the lot of them and I really do appreciate every review / favourite / follow this story gets. I love all of you so much, this is my childhood love and it makes me so happy that there are people out there revisiting this fandom too.

* * *

><p>Hilariously, the first time she really connected with him was when she didn't even know it was him she was connecting with.<p>

Which in all honestly, made up for the embarrassment that she felt when she found out that 'Bus Buddy' was actually the person behind the mask of Spectra Phantom.

The day had started simple enough; Alice was on loan with her Aunt Clara and Uncle Ben who had undoubtedly filled every familial obligation expected of them and more, when she decided to video call home.

The week had been easy for her, between the daily Skype calls with Eric the Lab Assistant and bonding with her aunt, the Russian girl had never felt more relaxed in her life. When the option to spend time away in a vacation of sorts arose, she had been slowly preparing herself to fight tooth and nail in case the Vestals came to invade Earth or something.

Like any other sane person in her position, Alice had spent all of the first day away listing every possible scenario that her time away would inevitably cause. Space invasion? Check. Work space related explosion? Had that covered. Another kidnapping? Puh-lease. Alice had thought up a plethora of ways to fix the neverending lists of disasters and quite honestly waiting for her grandfather to accept the video call had been the most antagonizing few seconds of her life. She was just barely to school her expressions when the rings finally stopped. The sixteen year old was ready to hear the sound of muffled screaming in the background, of glass shattering and explosions- there was even a moment she considered herself ready to see Hal-G blink onto her mobile screen when the Skype call was finally answered and the calm face of her grandfather's lab assistant graced her screen.

He stared unblinkingly at her and she figured it was only time before he started groveling for her return.

What happened next took her completely off guard.

(and to be honest, solidified the fact of how she really did needed to spend time away from the lab)

"Look at you, looking all cherry and girlish already." He grinned sheepishly, wiggling the screen just so slightly so he could have a firmer hold on the device, "only sixteen hours away from all this testosterone and you're looking like a newborn. My baby, they grow up so fast."

The girl only rolled her eyes at that. He always found an excuse to be melodramatic. He was, after all, the one who had wanted her to spend time away from isolation, going as far as making nice with her uncle and just outright embedding himself into the hearts of her extended family. When he dropped the concern that Alice wasn't going out as much anymore ("with good reason!"), the two had latched on immediately and whisked her away for a world of picnics and cities and people. Eric had looked on like a proud mother, waving the Warp Card he had confiscated from her as Lync looked on in disinterest. More interested in the handheld Michael had bought for him than the fact that the person who cooked most of his meals would be gone for a whole month unexpectedly.

Alice had always known Eric as a manipulative, testy and conceited individual. His personality traits filed under a list far too great for those words to even embody. While the years had mellowed him out a bit to the relief of her friends; these were things that she knew he would never change about himself. Which was fine, because he really had changed and toned it all done for her benefit in the past. The problem was when he waltzed his way to get what he wanted and gleefully watched the repercussions of his actions.

Lately, the subject of those repercussions involved anything if not everything revolving around one Alice Gehabich.

Which really did make for a greater hole in her chest when you factored in their past.

"So twitchy," her speakers reverberated against her fingers, "nothing's on fire if that's what you're worried about."

"Are you sure?" She couldn't help question. "Everything's fine? Where's Grandfather? How are you being fed? Did you tell Lync that he can't play that game all night, it'll hurt his eyes. No one's screaming-"

"And no one's going to be screaming because Eric's disgusting cooking killed them all." A voice cut in from the background, a curious teal eye popping in behind the lab assistant's plume of hair before the device was put down and the sound of a scuffle filled the guest room.

Nonetheless, Alice felt her heart jump out of her chest at the sight. While on one hand, she was happy to see that Lync was comfortable enough to roughhouse with Eric while she was away, she couldn't help shake off the growing anxiety pooling inside of her.

"Boys, please." Another voice joined the fray and her heart steadied in its nervous beating at the sight of her grandfather entering into the display. She watched as the screen shook once again before being picked up by Lync who curiously examined the Skype window reflecting Alice and a wide grin filled his features.

"Hi, Alice."

"Hello, Lync." She replied steadily, before the boy squawked and the device was dropped once again. The sound of laughter soon filled the background and she relaxed against the pillows, letting the snorts and muffled insults envelope the silence on her side. Smiling pleasantly at her relatives when they walked past the open guestroom door. Ben only laughed softly as he glimpsed into her Skype conversation, whispering that they were going to go to bed soon and for her to turn the lights off when she was done.

She was plugging in her headphones when the her grandfather finally decided to pick up the phone before the two teenage boys currently living in his home trampled over it.

"Surprisingly, the two of them were so well behaved when it was evident you weren't home." He sighed, but the twinkle of mirth betrayed the tiredness he tried to convey. The homely warmth that he had always brought along with him touched her even now, when all she had of him was the digital buzz as he looked off and started a spiel of how he spent his day and the encounters he had with each of the boys within the span of it.

Honestly, she didn't even realize how late it was until the phone was swapped from Michael to Lync and then to Eric who had let out a loud obnoxious yawn, bestowing upon Alice a magnificent view of his nose hairs and stating that he was going to sign off and head to bed.

"You should too." He told her after going through their usual nightly routine.

"Mm, G'night." She mumbled, having rolled over to stretch out her now numbing arm. Her earphones discarded once they began entangling themselves with the mess that was her mop of orange hair.

Eric had nodded at her before closing the Skype window and suddenly Alice felt like the silence was going to swallow her full.

Ever since they had noticed Lync in the snowbanks and brought him home like a stray pet, Alice had learned to grow accustom to the constant noise their new houseguest brought with him. There was comfort offered when she was startled awake from undisclosed nightmares to hear the mixed cacophony of snores and murmurs fill her home. Her heart swelled every time she walked into the kitchen to see Eric brewing something with the mild excuse that Lync was keeping him up only to return back to his borrowed room with two mugs in tow. While she had been bitter and frustrated with his presence at first, she would not deny that Lync was beginning to grow on her after bringing so much noise into her quaint still winter wonderland home.

Now, the only movement in the small townhouse was the faint sight of her blinking reflection and the flicker of the streetlight outside her window. While she was glad her aunt hadn't situated her in the attic like when she was thirteen, the clear absence of sound and the obvious distance the guestroom was from the master bedroom was beginning to make her feel antsy.

So antsy that she couldn't even catch a wink of sleep.

So turning over in bed a few nights later, after a video call home had ended a little bit earlier than usual, Alice decided it would be a good idea to distance herself from the quiet of the house and let herself bask in the city buzz.

At the time, she had thought it was a good idea.

Never had she thought to check the weather forecast.

Leaving a note on the fridge, the girl robotically grabbed her shoes and the keys before quietly heading out. A path had already been drawn in her minds eye, and immediately the stale air and starless skies had calmed her nerves in the most ironic of ways the moment she made it past the driveway.

She let a small smile wiggle its way to surface as she made her way down lit sidewalks and busy streets. While not the smartest option at this time of night, Alice welcomed the loud noise and activity, it made her feel at home and at peace. Drifting her mind away from her previous nervousness of being locked in a silent room and shoving every lecture Eric had slammed her way about city folk until she almost tripped and suddenly the world around her exploded into color.

A car whizzed past her carelessly, honking its horn and shaking Alice awake with the same bruising force the hand gripping her forearm was applying. The constant noise of a never sleeping city had escaped her right then and there and the only thing that her ears could zero in on was the choked gasp she had made as the stranger yanked her back a bit onto the sidewalk, a displeased growl following as the action dislodged her phone from her pocket.

Absently, she noted that stranger was strangely masculine.

She was debating whether or not to make pleasant talk with the stranger after thanking him when she realized that after a long moment to regain herself and her bearings, the man still kept a strong grip on her arm.

All Alice heard then was the loud chime of warning bells.

The redhead instinctively forced her arm out of the stranger's grip and made a quick show out of thanking him and grabbing her phone before bolting right out of there.

Comfortable or not, Alice had seen enough evil in the world to at least wake up in the most dire of times and let her sense of stranger danger take over as she dashed through open sidewalks and over parked cars.

She was glad she had taken those lessons with Chan Lee; the various martial arts trials she found herself dragged to certainly helped her out of unwanted situations and she even taught some moves to Runo and Julie who absorbed them like a sponge. However it was on that note, as the pursuing footsteps died away and she ducked into a 24hr convenience store did she realize she really didn't want to go back out again.

Calling uncle Ben to pick her up wasn't an option either, she debated as she strolled deeper into the store, she really didn't want to explain why the stillness of their quaint home drove her outside at three in the morning.

Besides, it was the princible of thing. It was three in the morning after all. Alice would never do that to someone.

(Dan, on the other hand... But then again that boy had no sense of common sense)

Across the counter, the cashier was slouched in the corner feigning sleep. His loud snores permeated the occasional buzz from the freezers in the dairy section and it was the only comfort offered to the young girl when she realized the world had completely turned its back to her.

"You're free to grab an umbrella when you head out, miss." A tired yawn drawled out as wide hazel eyes watched the pavement get drenched in a torrent of heavy rain and the sky light up only with the bright flashes of lightning. "Careful, though. This storm's a long one."

"Thank you, sir." She swallowed nervously, eyeing the darkened sidewalks with a quiet groan.

Alice knew for a fact that her relative's townhouse was pretty nearby, a ten minute full out sprint if not anything with the way the rain was beating down on the Earth. The strategist was absolutely certain she would be able to make it without being soaked to the bone if she set her mind to it. The sidewalks were pretty empty at this part of town- a fact that she was thankful for if she decided to commit herself to a sprint worthy of Olympic proportions.

Her eyes flickered.

Of course the shady shaky shadow currently hiding behind the trash cans told her otherwise.

But staying inside the convenience store wasn't something Alice was keen on either, even if the kind cashier welcomed it, Alice wanted back to the safety of her aunt and uncle's home. The rain was a welcome change for the deafening silence, a change she would've loved to have been stopped by before heading out on this impromptu adventure that she was supposed to be staying away from.

Another flare of lightning and the figure became more defined under Alice's careful gaze.

It was a ridiculous thought considering how she faced an evil albino dragon at the meek age of thirteen but at that moment, Alice couldn't help but panic internally as the figure shuffled around suspiciously.

Today's the day, the words almost slipped out of her mouth- never had her thoughts been more defined to her than at that moment as she debated who'd be the first person she'd text her teary goodbye to, her thoughts felt like they were on display in bright neon lights as her heart raced another mile over a circuit, she was going to get murdered because her stupid adventurous self needed fresh air at three in the morning. She should've opened a window. An ant infestation would've been a better end than this.

Her panic was so loud in her ears that she completely missed the ringing of the bells as the doors to the convenience store slid open once again. All her attention was focused on the best escape route for the likely coincidence that the stranger approached her while on the way home. She definitely didn't hear the heavy footsteps heading her way or the pitter patter of water hitting the linoleum until a curious voice hovered beside her.

"'Bus buddy?'" The way the words fell out of this person's mouth sounded so foreign she should've realized it right then and there. But the local term she had often caught off the edges of conversations with Chan had immediately put her so at ease that she was ready to drop to her knees and praise the very ground this person was standing on.

She really did feel like she was close to tears when the person beside her shuffled a bit and offered her his jacket.

"I'm close by..." she accepted the jacket readily, letting a wide smile fill her features when gentle fingers pried the hood over her head. Alice didn't even care that the garment was already soaking wet from this stranger's venture outside; the action was enough to reassure her this person was safe for the time being. "But if you don't mind?"

"Of course not," she noted the slightly chuckle in his voice and she looked up, flashing him a huge relieved smile before swallowing quite noticeably.

Her head shot back down almost immediately as she tried to hide the blush making its way to her ears.

Bus Buddy was hot.

Like smoking hot.

And his white shirt was soaked all the way through and - wow.

Alice was certainly not making it back alive.

"Sorry, it's a little wet, I hope you don't mind the stench." A tanned hand ran through drenched blond spikes, and a look of uncertainty ran through his features before setting into a nervous grin. Alice almost forgot to breathe.

"No no no. I like the smell of rain. It's nice."

"I meant my jacket but same here." Bus Buddy let out another chuckle and Alice couldn't help but join in. She was so alleviated that she didn't even think twice when she caught her reflection and noticed that the red-black pleather jacket was actually starting to create a small pool where she was standing.

Thinking back, the sight of her reflection wearing that all too familiar jacket should've done it for her but of course, 3AM strolls were only taken by the sleep deprived.

But then again, the reflection of the man beside her stretching out his muscles and desperately trying to dry his translucent shirt in vain was enough of a sight to distract her from any sane sense of conscious decision.

So she didn't even think twice after the two of them collected themselves, and exchanged small snippets of conversation before exiting the store together under a borrowed umbrella.

When they walked past the suspicious stranger, Bus Buddy didn't even falter in his long strides as Alice gripped his arm a little bit tighter and her brisk steps became just a bit quicker. If he had noticed her slight distress, he didn't let out a word hinting otherwise factor into their conversation as they briskly passed the trashcans and let the smaller girl lead him past streetlights and bus shelters.

"You know for what its worth... you really shouldn't go out at night when you're in the city." Bus Buddy mused beside her, carefully placing himself to the street edge after an unfortunate accident with a puddle. Alice rolled her eyes at the statement and tried not to get caught peeking at the tanned muscle seeping through the thin material of his shirt.

"I think today was enough reason for me never to do it again," she said curtly, "you should probably take your jacket back, you must be freezing."

"It's fine, you looked like you were turning into an icicle in your pajamas anyways." He smirked at the sight of red blossoming onto her cheeks. She really did hope he didn't notice.

"What were you doing out anyways?"

"You're going to laugh."

"No, I wouldn't"

Alice shot him a look and he twirled the umbrella a bit, dispelling a few droplets from the top and whirling it until an almost shell started to form around them.

"What's the harm?" He said offhandedly, his eyes looking off yet still the distinct glare of them told her that he was still paying full attention to the world around them. "By morning, you'd think this whole conversation was a dream."

Technically it was morning already, she wanted to retort back but thought better as she looked on at the still pouring sky. The clouds were still obscuring the sun from peaking over the horizon, keeping what little light the flickering streetlights offered be the only source of light that guided her on her way home.

She tried to ignore the way the light glisten of rainwater that had still managed to hit them shone off Bus Buddy's cheeks as they passed another streetlight. As if the convenience store backdrop wasn't enough- his jawline only became more prominent under the meager lighting, she watched as his drying blond hair caught stray rain drops and noted how the coat tails of his jacket tickled the back of her legs. Even the way he postured himself so that she was able to stay completely dry was enough to keep her blushing for days.

In the back of her mind, the only sane piece of conscious thought left not completely focused on the man beside her realized that over the years, she developed a type.

A type that definitely will be putting her in the worst positions ever.

"Ok. Fine, so you know when you're in a room full of people and like no one's talking?" She started, eyes focused ahead of her instead at the person beside her. "No noise. No movement. Nothing?"

"Yeah."

"And like it gets to the point, you just can't sit still anymore. And it's almost like a pressure waiting to be let out. I couldn't stand it, I thought I was going to explode, I needed something to help pacify that pressure so-" the words caught in her throat before she had a chance to think about what she was trying to say. What was she trying to say? This was so silly. Why was she spilling one of her major anxieties to a stranger she had met in the magazine section of 7/11? "Sorry. I'm rambling."

"No, I get it." The umbrella stopped spinning and the sound of the rain hitting the pavements encapsulated the silence that filled the space the both of them didn't know they left. "You'd think the silence would help you relax but it only makes the pressure worse. So you go to places filled with noise to try to drive away everything the empty dead air is threatening to expose."

"Yeah," her hazel eyes flickered, but still she refused to look at the man beside her. "What about you?"

"Would you believe me if I said it was because of the same reason?"

"I thought you needed to catch a bus."

"I was inside at some point," he replied cordially, voice flat before letting out a small laugh. "I can't stand it when its too quiet. So I decided to go out. Luckily for me, I found a pretty 'bus buddy' friend."

"Lucky you." Alice couldn't help scoffing, cheeks warm and eyes itching to examine his expression, "too bad you found yourself soaked to the bone too. You sort of resemble a wet dog with all that hair."

"Woof."

"Cute." She let out another laugh and turned a corner, a small part of herself was disappointed when she saw that her aunt's home was just a few blocks away.

To her shock, she wasn't the one who began to take slower steps.

"Why would you think I'd laugh at that?" He asked in almost whisper after a long moment.

"I don't know." She whispered back almost immediately and shook her head. She shouldn't be doing this with a stranger. Alice was smarter than that and however immensely relieved that she had managed to find someone to walk her home, it still wasn't a proper excuse to completely let him hear her darkest secrets. "So I guess this is where we part ways?"

"Mmm, the bus stop's right there?" He asked, pointing at the lone sign waiting at the edge of the road.

"Yeah, the bus comes fairly quickly so I guess you don't need to wait long." She replied quietly, shrugging off the jacket and giggled as the stranger juggled between holding the umbrella and helping her out. "Thanks for walking me home, that was very kind of you."

"No problem," Alice watched as Bus Buddy smiled at her, red jacket now over his own shoulders. "You don't want me to walk you back?"

"I'll manage."

"You sure? I don't want to be responsible for getting your pretty head drenched in this weather." The way he said it was so swift that it caught her completely off guard.

"I- I'll be fine." She could hardly enunciate the words, she was so flustered. Her mind was reeling. She couldn't believe this person could make something so lame sound so suave.

Alice was too busy trying not to morph into a tomato when Bus Buddy let out another snide chuckle and leaned down.

She thought she was going to explode right then and there as he leaned back up and smirked down at the sight of Alice Gehabich blushing like mad and holding a dainty hand to her cheek.

Spectra let out another laugh and all but disappeared before she could regain the ability of speech when she realized he had kindly left her with the umbrella as well.

"Be careful, Alice Gehabich." He had whispered into her ear before pecking her on the cheek, "You never know who's prowling out at night."

* * *

><p><strong>IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a work of fiction. If you're out alone and need a ride, call a parent or a friend. Be cautious, stay at home. Hahah<strong>


End file.
